How is Peripheral Vascular Disease related to smoking?

PVD is caused by a slowage or stoppage of blood through the blood vessels in the arms and legs. Smoking causes vasoconstriction ( constriction or narrowing of the blood vessels). When the blood can't flow as fast through the veins (because they are narrowed), the tissues are waiting for the blood get to them because they need oxygen to produce energy. In the meantime they need energy to survive so they produce the energy without oxygen. The byproduct of that production is lactic acid, which builds up in the tissue causing the pain you experience with PVD.